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Imperial Culture
Imperial Culture or Modern Macandrio-Galdienese Culture is the most prominent and widespread culture in the Empire. It is also influenced by the cultures that the Empire has taken over and to a lesser extent those that neighbor it. Rule Macandria is officially ruled over by The Senate and its emperor, but the Noble Houses hold considerable defacto power. It is also officially a limited monarchy, but through adult adoption the emperor often handpicks his successor, and because the emperor has direct command of soldiers, spies, and assassins he often controls the senate through intimidation, blackmail, and murder. This would make him a defacto autocrat if it weren't for the fact that the vast majority of the economy is controlled by the Noble Houses which have representatives in The Senate. Law The Senate makes the law, and the emperor enforces it. He does so through the Imperial Guard, Ranger's Guild, city watchmen, and through the Office of Justice which handles trials, issues warrants, and interperts the law. Trials themselves are overseen by a tribunal of three magistrates within the Office of Justice. Until ME223, there were no appeals, but after corruption among certain magistrates that sent dozens of innocent men to their deaths was uncovered, The Senate legalized a single appeal for a convicted person, which would grant them a new trial before a new tribunal. Private legal consultants are widespread, but they cost money, and are never provided by the state. Also see: Law Enforcement '' Economy Small shops, inns, workshops, small farms, gardens, and residences are all the property of private families and individual citizens. Larger economic operations such as plantation farming, husbandry, mining, fishing, theatre, league sports, banks, marketplaces, and timber to name a few are under the control of various monopolistic and oligopolistic companies run by one of the Noble Houses. Business owners wishing to expand these businesses are legally obligated to merge with these companies, sharing with them a sizeable portion of their profits. These same Houses also have enormous infuence within The Senate and outlaw any large commercial and industrial operations not affiliated with them. That said, many of these operations do exist outside of the law--these are the smuggling syndicates. ''See Lacrima and The Black Legion Currency See The Currency of Macandria Socio-Economic Classes There are three major class divisions in Imperial Culture: The Lower (or Working) Class, Middle Class, and Upper Class. Most Imperial citizens and freedmen belong to the lower class--laborers, craftsmen, shopkeepers, servants, farmers, ranchers, watchmen, teachers. The middle class is made up of men and women who have made enough wealth to escape the lower class whether through the marketing of a specialized skill (engineers, doctors, artists, professors), or the owner of a successful business that has joined a Noble House company (merchants). The upper class is made up of nobles and those fortunate enough to have climbed their way towards the top of a Noble House company. Gender Macandrian women are amongst the most free in the patriarchal world. They are forbidden from joining the military in any combat role and from official political office above the provincial level, but they otherwise enjoy many of the freedoms men do. However, these freedoms are fairly recent. Society, especially the more traditional and conservative within it, shun females in positions of power. Many women themselves believe that it is their religious or moral duty to stop pursuing a career once they marry. Conversely, men who attempt to take on traditionally female roles (e.g. domestic work, dancing, weaving, sewing) are shunned as effeminate and are likely to have trouble finding wives in mainstream society. Family The majority of Macandrians live near (usually in the same neighborhood or village) as their extended family. The oldest male in the family is its leader with his wife being a second-in-command of sorts. However, this is by no means an autocratic system--the family patriarch can be overruled if the overwhelming majority of the rest of the family disagrees. While individuals have the legal right to defy the wishes of their family, doing so one too many times often means losing the support and acceptance that comes with them. It is becoming increasingly common to see young individuals and couples break apart from their families to start independent lives, but, overall, this is still rare. Marriage Arranged marriages (outside of the upper class) are mostly a relic of centuries past. Individuals choose their spouses in modern times. However, a spouse must be approved by both of the nuclear families--that means that the bride's family must approve of the groom, and the groom's family must approve of the bride. The exception is when one family is significantly wealthier than the other. In that case, the wealthy family is the only one that makes any approval. Young couples can of course defy this custom and marry without the blessing of their families, but this nearly always means shame and shunning. Also, most Orthodox temples and the Imperial Temple will not marry a couple without the blessings of their families. Once approval is granted, legal marriage is a swift stamp on a certificate by an Office of Justice magistrate. After that comes the religious marriage. Feasts are prepared, a garden is chosen, entertainers are hired, and guests are invited. The bride dawns jewelery, elegant clothing, make-up, and perfumes unlike anything she's ever worn before (if she's not rich) or ever will again (unless she remarries). The groom also wears lavish clothing and perfume. Before a cleric, they exchange vows and rings, kiss, and then partake in the party that ensues. When the festivities come to a close, the new couple is given some privacy for the night. Finally, the next day, the bride's family accepts the groom into it, and the couple can now call themselves husband and wife. Wedlock is also a considered a ceremony between a man and a woman because within Macandrian society the main goal of marriage is to produce offspring for the family. Divorce can legally occur as easily as marriage, but it is highly frowned upon except under exceptional circumstances. Sex Because of the avaliability of effective herbal birth control and the invention of the condom, relatively safe sex is common in the Empire among the wealthy and middle class. Before marriage, youth are expected to be promiscuous by their peers and expected not to be by their elders. Among various impoverished communities, however, sexually-transmitted disease and unwanted pregnancy are problems. This frivolousness is supposed to end at marraige, which is expected to be a monogamous commitment, but it is not uncommon for men and women to engage in affairs. When discovered, however, these are not taken lightly. Adultery is seen as a betrayal and, if the couple is legally married, is grounds for divorce and, potentially, other legal ramifications. Homosexuality is a debated issue. For the most part it is tolerated, but being exclusively homosexual, homosexual marriages, and homosexuality within the military are considered completely taboo. Clothing Men Among men of all socio-economic classes the tunic is worn. Usually it is knee-length, sleeveless, and loose-fitting, secured with a belt of leather of rope around the waist. Short-sleeve tunics are common too. In northern cities, long-sleeve tunics are not uncommon, but these tend to be more form-fitting and are worn under more typical tunics. The material from which these are made, however, differs depending on class. The poor tend to wear tunics made of coarse wool, while the more wealthy prefer those made of fine wool or linen. Some aristocrats even wear tunics made of silk and cotton imported from Yuan. It is also common, especially in colder climates, to wear a loose cloak of some sort above the tunic. The middle class (but only formally) and the wealthy also wear togas made of fine wool. In western Galdiens (near Pono), men wear a skirt and go shirtless quite often. Underneath tunics and skirts, men of all classes typically wear underwear--a loincloth or shorts. Concerning footwear, sandals are the most common, but in western Galdiens going barefoot is also not unusual. In colder climates, boots are popular. Women The men's tunic is often found on women too. However many in recent times have chosen to purposefully wear undersized tunics so that they may appear more form-fitting. Another popular option is the more traditional "Stola" or women's tunic--a dress which extends down to the ankle and is secured by brooches at the shoulders. The material depends on the woman's wealth--the poor use coarse wool (usually the coarse wool for women's tunics is more fine that the coarse wool for men's) and the rest use fine wool or linen. The rich often use imported cloths for their dresses like silk or cotton, and they also wore elaborate shawls in formal outings. Underneath, women wear a loincloth or shorts to cover their bottoms. Their tops are covered by, if anything, breastcloths or the more expensive soft leather bras. Footwear is nearly identical to that of men--the main difference being the size and shapes of the shoes. Thuric Influence The influence of Thuric merchant and noble caste clothing has been large in northern Province Macander since shortly after the conquest of Thur. Architecture Macandrian architecture relied heavily on bricks and concrete for most buildings. The more prestigious buildings used these a lot as well, but covered them in plaster, tile, and marble. Cuisine The Macandrio-Galdienese typically eat three or four meals a day--a small breakfast, a smaller lunch, and a big dinner. Breakfast and dinner are usually eaten at home, even in homes without kitchens where hot food is prepared in nearby public kitchens and brought into the home to be eaten. Lunch is usually eaten in a tavern, taberna, restaraunt, or on the streets. The following list provides an example of what might be eaten during a given meal and by a given class. Breakfast Lower Class *A piece or two of wheat bread dipped in a cup of cheap wine. Middle Class *A slice of wheat bread with goat's cheese, a handful of pistachio nuts, a cup of goat's milk Upper Class *Two boiled eggs, a handful of pine nuts with honey, a cup of imported coffee Lunch Lower Class *A bowl of barley porridge, a cup of fountain water. Middle Class *A bowl of chicken stew flavored with fish sauce, a glass of cheap wine Upper Class *Blackberries in cream, a slice of wheat bread with marmalade, a glass of fine spiced wine Dinner Lower Class *Appetizer: Chickpeas *Main Course: Salted cod fish *Dessert: none *Beverage: Cheap Wine Middle Class *Appetizer: A platter of sliced cheddar cheese *Main Course: Roasted duck flavored with salt and pepper *Dessert: Oranges *Beverage: Lager Upper Class *Appetizer: Raw Oysters *Main Course: A selection of roasted and grilled meats--pheasant, goose, pork, beef, venison. *Dessert: Honey and elderberry pie *Beverage: Cherry Brandy, Imported Green Tea Foreign Influence Cuisines from other parts of the empire are popular throughout it. Education Education is widespread. Only the poorest lack literacy because elementary education, while not public, is very affordable. Children go to school usually beginning at six or seven and graduate at twelve or thirteen, having learned a degree of reading, writing, history, and arithematic. From there they usually become an apprentice or intern of some sort. Many unskilled laborers are actually not freedmen, but rather youth who graduated elementary school and ran into misfortune. Higher education is monopolized by the state in the form of The Imperial University. For the most part only the rich and a select few who are granted scholarships (e.g. mages, noticed writers and artists) are enrolled due to its high tuition. Hygiene Macandrians bathe daily, usually after a day's work and before dinner. This is done publicly (but gender-segregated) in bathhouses. The use of soap and olive oil in scrubbing away filth is common. The rich usually have baths in their houses, but these are not in private rooms. Rather there is a household bath used by family members and respected servants alike. Entertainment Entertainment has far fewer class divisions than other aspects of Imperial culture. Both rich and poor in cities attend plays and watch professional sports in amphitheatres, witness gladiators fight in arenas, play board games in parks and plazas, drink with friends and listen to music in tabernas. Tabernas Originating from obscure holes-in-the-wall where people could secretly participate in vice, tabernas are now similar to taverns or inns--they are places to get a meal, a drink, and/or a bed. However, unlike them, tabernas include a myriad of entertainment options. They include a stage where bards, comedians, dancers, and jugglers (respectively) recite tales, tell jokes, perform choreographed routines, and juggle. They include a seperate stage where musicians play from noon to late at night. Card games and board games are, if not provided, still very common. Many tabernas are also gathering places for prostitutes and courtesans looking for clients. 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